Voodoo Lab Control Switcher

The Voodoo Lab Control Switcher is a MIDI amp commander: a relay switcher that gives MIDI programmability over every footswitchable function on your amplifier, including channel switching, reverb, boost, EQ and effects loop¹. Instead of tapping dance routines on your amp's footswitch, you send it MIDI and its four isolated relays close the same contacts your amp's own switches would close.

It is built around four completely isolated relays, each with a front panel instant access button and its own 1/4" mono output, plus a multi-DIN connector for amps that use a multi-pin footswitch jack¹. It lists at a price of $179.99 USD as of October 2026, and carries a 5-year warranty in North America¹.

The Buttons and Jacks

The front panel has four LED function buttons, which switch the four functions on and off and save programs¹. Each button corresponds to one of the four completely isolated relays, and each relay has its own 1/4" mono output jack¹. Because the relays are isolated from each other, one switch can drive the channel select on one amp while another drives the reverb or loop on the same or a different amp, without the grounds interacting.

For amps with a multi-pin footswitch jack rather than individual 1/4" switching inputs, the 5-pin MULTI DIN connector is the route in. Voodoo Lab builds a custom cable for this, the MULTI Connector Cable (Part# CXC), and each cable is custom-made-to-order for your specific amp model¹. To check compatibility and order one, email product support at info@voodoolab.com¹.

The MIDI Out jack passes MIDI commands along to other MIDI devices, so the Control Switcher can sit in a chain rather than at the end of it¹. MIDI In does double duty: it accepts incoming commands and provides phantom power, so with a suitable controller the unit can be powered over the MIDI cable¹. Otherwise it runs from a 5.5mm x 2.1mm barrel connector, center negative, at 9-12VDC or 9VAC and 100mA¹.

Setting the MIDI Channel and PC/CC Response

The Control Switcher ships on MIDI channel 1, and both Program Change (PC) and Control Change (CC) response are disabled by default². You can select whether it responds to PC, CC, both message types, or none². All of these settings are made with a power-up button routine rather than an editor or display.

MIDI channel. Apply power while holding down button #2; LED #2 flashes until you release the button. Then press each button to match the desired channel from the manual's table, and remove power when finished². Channels 1 through 16 are shown as ON/OFF combinations of LEDs #1 through #4, with channel 1 as all OFF and channel 16 as all ON².

PC/CC response. Apply power while holding down button #3; LED #3 flashes until you release the button. Then press buttons #1 and #2 according to the table²:

CC group. Apply power while holding down button #4; LED #4 flashes until you release the button. Then press buttons #1, #2 and #3 according to the table². Each MIDI Control Change message's controller number specifies which loop to turn on or off². The default group is CC numbers 80-83, where 80 controls switch #1, 81 controls switch #2, 82 controls switch #3 and 83 controls switch #4². Eight groups are available in total, and each also maps to a set of GCX loop numbers²:

Using It with the Ground Control Pro

The manual carries a specific note for players running the Voodoo Lab Ground Control Pro: you must disable both PC and CC, and None is the correct setting for the Ground Control Pro only².

Since both PC and CC are disabled by default², a stock Control Switcher is already set up the way the Ground Control Pro expects. The GCX loop mapping in the CC group table also means a Ground Control Pro system with GCX switchers addresses the Control Switcher's relays the same way it addresses GCX loops².

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